Control unit for composing machines



March 16, 1954 M. T. GOETZ CONTROL UNIT FOR COMPOSING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1952 INVENTOR MAURUS T. GOETZ March 16, 1954 M. T. GOETZ CONTROL UNIT FOR COMPOSING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1952 INVENTOR MAURUS T. GOETZ ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 16, 1954 CONTROL UNIT FOR COMPOSING MACHINES Maurus T. Goetz, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Teletypesetter Corporation, Chicago Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 6, 1952, Serial No. 286,403

10 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in line casting and composing machines and more particularly to automatic control mechanisms therefor.

In general the present invention features an automatic control mechanism applicable to standard types of line casting machines without changing the manual operating features and re taining other characteristic features of these machines.

The principal object of the invention is to provide in an automatic control mechanism for composing machines a selector mechanism featuring an improved type of selector bar assembly which is conducive to high speed operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an automatic control mechanism for line casting and composing machines, a selector mechanism of improved type including an additional codal overlap to provide a more facile two-cycle L that may or may not be provided with a perforation depending upon the particular code combination that is being read or sensed. Upon each momentary arrest of the control form the several feelers sense the code combination perforated in the particular position and upon the next movement the combination is transferred to an intermediate set of storage devices following which a set of code bars are also positioned in accordance with such code combination. The code bars are provided with notches on both top and bottom edges thereof and in this manner they accommodate a double alignment of selectable elements. In the preferred practice of the present invention the selectable elements are alternately and oppositely disposed with respect to each other in scissors-like fashion constituting two rows which are movable toward each other when urged into selected position. For each permutation of the code bars one and only one of these selectable elements may be placed into selected position and when any particular one is thus selected it actuates an associated interponent member to a position between an intermittently operated striker bar and a corresponding one of a plurality of keylever actuators. With the structure according to the present invention the interponents are actuated by the selectable elements into the path of the striker bar which then seizes control of the interponents to permit the selectable elements to respond to the succeeding selection thus providing an overlap. The motion of the common striker element is imparted through a keylever actuator to the particular keylever as a sharp staccato blow simulating the touch of the operators finger when it is manually operated. A cam shaft which is constantly rotated during the normal operation of the record reading device serves to reset the selectable elements and also to actuate the common striker bar and is timed with respect to the operative cycle to perform two complete selective functions for each revolution.

It is thus an important feature that by virtue of the fact that all of the necessary functions are accomplished within a half revolution of the primary driven shaft, the speed of the driving elements can be enhanced because with the arrangement according to the present invention an additional codal overlap is provided.

A better understanding of the present invention will be obtained from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a. transverse sectional view through the keyboard and matrix release mechanism of the composing machine illustrating the selector mechanism according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view illustrating an initial or selection stage in the atomatic operation of a keylever;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating the operational stage in the automatic operation of a keylever; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the record reader mechanism and associated parts.

Since the disclosure herein set forth is in the nature of an improvement of the control unit disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,091,286 issued August 31, 1937, to H. L. Krum et al., only so much of the mechanism of the patented structure will be hereinafter set forth as is necessary to an understanding of the present invention. Reference may be had to said patent for a full understanding of the control unit not described hereinafter in detail.

Having reference to Fig. 1, wherein is shown a cross-sectional view of a line casting and composing machine embodying a control unit according to the present invention, there is pro- 3 vided a main framework 2| (of the control unit), more fully described in said Patent No. 2,091,286, and which is mounted beneath the standard keyboard 22, customarily provided with line casting and composing machines, in a manner indicated in said Patent No. 2,091,286. While in the case of the majority of the weight bars 23 there is provided notonly a manually, operated keylever 24 but also an independent automatically operated lever 27, it will be noted that this is not true in the case of those characters whose manually operated keylevers are situated in the lower two rows of the six horizontal rows of keylevers. In the case of these two rows of keylevers, instead of providing separate automatically operated levers 21, each keylever 2:! has been modified by the addition thereto of an off-, set portion 26 generally similar to the corresponding portions 26 of the keylevers 21-, but in this case integrally formed with the manually operated keylevers.

Referring now to Fig. 1, wherein a typical cross-section through the selector and matrix release mechanisms is indicated, attention is directed to, the standard keyboard construction in particular contemplation of which this structurehas been designed. Keylevers 24' pivoted on shafts 25 are suitably articulated to move members or weights 23- as at 29 admitting of considerable lost motion at their several points of articulation by virtue of excess clearance Bl. A particular touch is obtained by providing a uniform leverage ratio in all of the keylevers, although, as is readily seen, each horizontal row proceeding downwardly is progressively longer than its preceding one. The weights 23 are provided with several notches 3| so as to be adaptable to standard replacement in connection with other of the several keylevers. Additional keylevers 2T pivoted at 32 are mounted for engagement with the lowermost notch 31 of certain of the several weights 23 and are provided with offset extensions 26 that protrude through a panel 33 of the keyboard. Thus, it will be seen that as to the release of matrices controiled'by keylevers in the upper four rows, Fig. 1, either the manual control levers 24- or the automatic control levers 21 may be operated independently and that in so doing, the other or unoperated of the two remains inert and does not in any way enter into motion either associatively or col laterally, but'as to the release of matrices controlled by the keylevers in the lower two rows a single lever is utilized for operation both manually and automatically.

An alignment of bell crank levers 35 fulcrumedon a common shaft 36 is disposed to overlapthe aforementioned extensions or portions 26' so as to engage them when rotated clockwise and against the action of individual springs 31. The vertical arms 38 of the bell cranks 35 register opposite certain ones of a corresponding plurality of interponents 39 of the improvedselector mechanism 46, according to the present invention, the operation of which is controlled in the following manner.

Having reference to Fig. 4, there is showna record reader, indicated generally as 4!, which through a transfer mechanism A l. controls the permutative setting of a, series of intermediate bars 43, which in turn control the permutative setting of a series of permutation code bars H3.

Code bars 44 control the selection of a group of selectable bars 45 which in turn control the in 4 terponents 39 to effectuate the selective operation of bell cranks 35.

The record reader 4| comprises a set of feeler levers 46 (six in the present instance), so called because of their function in sensing the attributes of a transverse line or row of tape perforations. Levers 46 are provided with arms 41 whichcarry feeler or sensing pins 48, and are also provided with projections 49 serving to be engaged by a bail 5| for periodically withdrawing the levers 46 in accordance with each successive reading or sensing of the record or control tape. The bail 5| moves as part of a bell crank structure 52 which also is actuated by the shaft 53 through a cam 54 and roller 55.

Feeler levers 46 are each provided with a pair of depending portions 56 and 57 and counterclockwise bias is normally imparted to levers 46 by individual springs 56. Portions 56 and 51 are adapted to cooperate with a pair of abutments 59 and: 6| on associated: ones of a corresponding-series of transfer T-levers 62 mounted pivotallyon a pivot stud 63 fixed to one arm of a bell cranklever 64 pivoted at 65, the short arm of which abuts a short arm of another bell crank lever 66 also pivoted at 65, the-other-end of which carriesa roller 61 spring urgedby-a spring 66 to follow the peripheral surface of a cam 69 secured to the shaft 53.

Ehe abutments 59 and 6| are so spaced apart that when either of the two portions 56* or 51 is brought into registration with its associated abutment 59 or Bl the other of the shoulders or portions 56 or 51 just clears its associated abutment 59 or 6| on T-lever 62'. Feeler levers 46 are provided with an intermediate orifice 'l'l having sufiicient clearance with respect to a fixed rod 72 positionedthereinto so as to permit of a,

by means of which they are articulated to bars 43 through slots M; Bars 43'- are in turn provided with projections 75 through which they are articulated tocode bars; Thus, it will'be seen that in accordance with the timed action of bell-crank 52 and lever 64-66*the set of feelers 46 williirst be permitted to rotate counterclockwise during which time those whose pins 48 are not blocked by the tape 76; but which are brought into registration with a perforation thereof, Will'bE permitted to rotate until their respective shoulders 51' register opposite the abutment lugs 6| while theothers which are not permitted to do so willremain in position with their shoulders 56in registration opposite the abutment lugs 59.

Immediately following this condi-tion the cam 69moving' lever 64-66 counterclockwise forces the several T-levers 62 into engagement-with their (respective feeler levers-and, dependingthe feeler.

upon which of the. two positionslevers happenv to assume, T-levers 62, being rocked about pivot 63; respondingly positioned and will imp-art a similar upon positionm ent totheir associated bars-4.3. In-this.

manner the; combination oi'perforations present in each transverse alignment inthatape is trans:

will be corlated simultaneously to the six code bars 44. Following each such translation the tape I6 is stepped forward until another transverse alignment of perforations is brought into registration with the feeler pins 48. This stepping is accomplisned by a pawl ii and ratchet wheel I8 under the control of a cam (not shown) on shaft 53, in a manner disclosed in the aforesaid U. S. Patent No. 2,091,286. The ratchet wheel 78 is secured to a shaft 19 which also carries a sprocket wheel 8I having teeth especially adapted to register with the central longitudinal row of perforations of the control tape in accordance with the well known practice. In this mamier, the single shaft 53 operates all of the mechanical agencies that control the record reader mechanism.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that while the several feeler levers 46 are brought back to a normal or starting position at some definite point in each cycle of operation, yet the transfer levers 62 and their articulated slide bars 43 are not so restored, but may be set in conformity with a new code combination regardless of their previous position. This practice permits of an overlap in the operation of the two sets of levers and allows the code bars 44 maximum time of rest during each cycle of operation.

Referring to Fig. 1, the code bars 44, as previously mentioned, are provided with notches on both top and bottom edges thereof, and in this manner they accommodate a double alignment of selectable elements 45 which are mounted pivotally on a common pivot 86. Confronting pairs of selectable elements 45 are normally biased toward each other by a common spring 91' Elements 45 normally tend to move into selective engagement with the code bars 44 but are restrained therefrom by a spreader cam shaft 98, as set forth in said U. S. Patent No. 2,691,286. Cam shaft 88 is provided with two longitudinal cam surfaces 89 and in rotating counterclockwise, during each half revolution thereof, the shaft 88 tends to spread the selector bars 45 and then to permit them to approach each other. The surfaces or apices 89, while at rest and holding apart the selectable bars 45, cause the latter to clear the edges of the permutation code bars 44, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, but immediately after leaving this position, and during rotation, as indicated in Fig. 2, the several selectable bars 45 are permitted to approach each other and to contact the edges of the set of permutation code bars 44 and for each permutative condition of the several code bar 44, an individual alignment of notches is afforded into which the adjacent selectable bar 45 is permitted to drop, as is well known in the art. As indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, notches 9| located in bars 45 are provided adjacent the spreader cam 88, so as to permit a sudden drop by a selectable bar 45 when the cam portion 89 passes under it. This practice allows greater time for the selectable bars 45 to be disposed in position for operation and also hastens its presentment thereinto relative to an operative cycle.

Cooperating with the free extremities of the selector bars 45 are a group of interponents 39 rockably mounted on a common pivot shaft 92. Each interponent 39 has a tail portion coacting with the extremity of its companion selectable bar 45, and a hook or shouldered portion 93 cooperable with a reciprocating striker bar or common actuator 94. The movement of the several selectable bars 45 is defined by the elongated slots which straddle the common shaft 92. The interponents 39 are normally biased by individual springs 96 so that their hook portions 93 are out of cooperable engagement with actuator 94 and their tail portions are in cooperative relation with the extremities 9'! of selectable bars 45. Upon selection of a selectable bar 45 in the manner previously described, the foremost portion 91 thereof either of the upper alignment or of the lower one, as the case may be, functions to rock its associated interponent against the action of spring 95 to position the shoulder 93 thereof into the path of the striker bar 94 so that the operated interponent may be engaged by said bar 94. When the striker bar 94 moves leftwardly, it engages the shoulder 93 of the interponent 39, as viewed in Fig. 3, and carries the interponent 39 bodily with a sharp staccato motion, driving it against the lower arm 38 of its associated bell crank lever 35, causing said lever 35 to be sharply actuated clockwise against the pull of spring 3? to depress the end 26 of lever 21 to, in turn, raise the weight 23 articulated thereto to operate the trigger IE)! to initiate the matrix selection function, as will presently appear.

In accordance with the present invention, a salient feature thereof is the provision of a further codal overlap in the operation of the selector mechanism, whereby the speed of operation of the line composing machine is greatly enhanced. To achieve this additional overlap, the interponents 39 are provided by means of which the two functions; namely, selection of bar 45 and operation of bell crank 35 are merged substantially into the same time interval, instead of occurring successively as heretofore in the prior art structures. Thus, with this improved overlap arrangement, the succeeding selecting of a bar 4-5 is permitted while an interponent 39 in response to the previous selection is being operated or actuated by the striker bar 94. Moreover, the speed of operation is enhanced, since the striker bar load is reduced greatly because said striker bar need only operate a light Weight member like the interponent 39 instead of a heavier element like the selectable bar 45 of the present structure or the analogous bars of the prior structure shown in patent No. 2,091,286.

Although the selector mechanism according 'to the present invention has other applications, it is disclosed in the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 1, as incorporated into a line casting and composing machine having a matrix release mechanism controlled by the record reader M (Fig. 4) through the selector mechanism 49 (Fig. l). The operation of any of the weights 23, either through the medium of the manually controlled keylever 24 or through the automatically controlled lever 27, results in releasing a corresponding one of a plurality of time delay mechanisms. This is accomplished by rotating trigger I9I counterclockwise until it ceases to support its cam yoke I92 whereupon the latter member drops until the peripheral teeth I03 of cam I04, which is pivoted between the tines of said yoke, engage a continuously rotating rubber roller 95. The engagement between the teeth I93 and the roller I05 imparts a clockwise motion to the cam I94 which, on account of its eccentricity raises yoke I02 until its remote end I99 abutting a release reed I9! imparts a timed stroke through the matrix release mechanism, illustrated generally at I08, whereupon it is again access-1:

supported by the trigger 1-0.1 pending another release movement.

The purpose of the. timed release mechanism, as: is: generally known, is to permit of sufficient time-in. the magazine trip. 1113 without having to expend; the same amount. of time in depressing. acontrol? key 2:1. or 21. The imperativeness of such. an. element of. delay is. made of principal.

importance in view. of the fact that the matrices;

are released. and. allowed: to gravitate. into assembled relation, for without such, and particularly under the speed, of automatic control, a, direct. release means might be actuated and be restored to;normalpositionrbefore its matrix has. had time tomove from. its magazine. I09; One of these over-lap mechanisms is provided. witheach of the. levers 21; whose function itis to release, a matrix. Ill from the magazine I09.

Ofjthe several code bars 44 in the present embodiment. (Fig..1-),.six of them are positioned. in each cycle oi operation through the agency of therecord reader mechanism s1, while a seventh. codebarfifl, called the shift code bar, ispositioned.

or shifted under the control of the code barsv 44-, asitully described in said U. S. Patent No. 2,091,-

286. Although six code bars 4 are contemplated.

in; the present disclosure, it is understood that any number of code bars may be employed to suit the desired selective possibilities.

It; is to beunderstood that the above-described arrangement is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised. by those skilled in the art which will embody principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A control unit including. a set of permuta tion bars having double edged code notch accommodations, a plurality of pairs of attrahently biased members having confronting edges cooperable with respective ones of said code notch accommodations, a spreader interposed to block.

selective response of a selected member for a predetermined interval when said. bars are positioned to allow its selective freedom and to permit said response after the transition of a predetermined interval, a plurality of interponents each responsively associated withv a selectable member, and: a. reciprocating operating bar, said interponents. having facilities engageable with saidoperating bar, whereby upon a selective response of said members a companion interponent isbroughtinto engaging relation with said operating bar. to initiate functional operations.

2; A control unit including a set of permutation bars having double edged code notch accommodations, a plurality of members individually selectable in accordance with the positionment of said bars. and oppositely disposed in accord.- ance with said double edged accommodations, spring elementsfor urging said members against said bars, a cam for cyclically withdrawingsaid members from-said bars, a reciprocating actuatorv said bars toeffect theindividual selectionof said elements, means. for attrahently: biasingsaid selectable elements, spreader means. interposed between said rows toeffectuate theactuation or said. selectable elements toward and away from saidpermutation. bars, a plurality of tailed hook members arranged. in two. groups. corresponding to said. rows of selectable elements and provided with confronting hook portions, said tail: portions. operably associated individually withthe extremity. of a companion selectable element, and. a reciprocating bail adapted. under predetermined, operating conditions to, cooperate with said con,- fronting. hook portions, whereby upon. selection ot a selectable element under the control of said spreader means, said bail. is effective upon; the. hook. portion of ahook member which has been. operated by its companion selectable element-to. operate. one of saidoperable elements.

4. In. av line composing machine, a keyboard. comprising a: plurality of keylevers arrangedv in.- rows for manual operation,. a.corresp.onding 1211b rality ofv selectable elements for automatically operating saidlkeylevers, said elements alternates ly. and oppositely staggered and dlSDOSGdz below 3 said keylevers,a set of permutation bars-between the alternate alignments of said elements sever-- ally positionable for individually selecting said elements, a corresponding plurality of interponents mounted on. a. common pivot. and individually related cooperatively to said selectable elc.- ments-, a common actuator for said interponents,v and. means for moving each selector element-towards. said. bars upon its selection to condition its. associated interponent for actuation by said. common actuator, whereby an associated. one. of said keylevers is actuated.

5. In aselector mechanism,, a. plurality of in.- strumentalities to be actuated, a plurality of pairs of attrahently biased selectable elements, aset of permutative selector bars having double-- edged code notch accommodations, said select-- able elements. having. confronting edges. cooperable with respective-ones of said. code notch. accommodations, signal.v controlled means for variously positioning said barsto effect. the in.-

dividual, selection of. saidelements, a spreader in.-- terposed: between the members of saidpairs to: block the selective response of a selected element for a predeterminedinterval when said barsare positioned to allow its selective freedom and to.- permit said response after the transition of a predetermined interval, a reciprocating striker ban-anda plurality of dually movablemembers mounted for, rotary and reciprocatory'movement on a common shaft, each member having a; hook.

portion cooperable with said striker bar and. a.

tail portion, cooperable with said selectable-clerment, said hook portion adapted tobe. inter.- posable between said striker bar and; an instrumentality, and said tail portion: cooperable with said selectable elements, whereby said selectable. element when selected.- is effective through said tail portion to present said, interponent portion intothe; path of movement of said striker bar. to actuate an associated instrumentality.

6. In combination, a plurality of instrumena talities, to be actuated, a set of per-mutation bars having double edged code notch accommoda.-- tions. a. plurality of pairs ofattrahently biased members having confronting edges, cooperable: with respective ones of said: code, notch accommodations, spreader means interposed. between the members of: saidpairs toeffectuate theaacturation of said members toward and away; from said permutation bars, a: plurality ofinterponents each responsively associated with a member, and an operating bar, said interponents having facilities engageable with said operating bar, whereby upon a selective response of said members a companion interponent is brought into engaging relation with said operating bar to actuate an instrumentality.

'7. In combination, a plurality of instrumentalities to be actuated, a set of permutation bars having double edged code notch accommodations, a plurality of pairs of attrahently biased members having confronting edges cooperable with respective ones of said code notch accommodations, spreader means interposed between the members of said pairs to effectuate the actuation of said members toward and away from said permutation bars, a striker bar, and a plurality of elements mounted on a common shaft, each element having an interponent portion cooperable with said striker bar and a tail portion cooperable with said members, said interponent portion adapted to be interposable between said striker bar and an instrumentality, and said tail portion cooperable with said members, said members when selected being effective through said tail portion to present said interponent portion into the path of movement of said striker bar, whereby an associated instrumentality is actuated.

8. In combination, a plurality of instrumentalities to be actuated, a tape reader, a set of permutation bars having double edged code notch accommodations, a transfer device for transferring the reading of said tape reader to said set of permutation bars, a plurality of pairs of attrahently biased members having confronting edges cooperable with respective ones of said code notch accommodations, spreader means interposed between the members of said pairs to effectuate the actuation of said members toward and away from said permutation bars, a plurality of interponents each responsively associated with a member, and an operating bar, said interponents having facilities engageable with said operating bar, whereby upon a selective response of said members a companion interponent is brought into engaging relation with said operating bar to actuate an instrumentality.

9. In combination, a plurality of instrumentalities to be actuated, a set of permutation bars having double edged code notch accommodations, a, plurality of pairs of attrahently biased members having confronting edges cooperable with respective ones of said code notch accommodations, spreader means interposed between the members of said pairs to effectuate the actuation of said members toward and away from said permutation bars, a plurality of interponents having two different kinds of motion, each interponent responsively associated with a member, and a reciprocating operating bar, said interponents having certain facilities responsive to the selective movement of said members to impart one kind of motion to said interponents, and other facilities engageable with said operating bar to impart another kind of motion to said interponents, whereby upon a selective response of said members a companion interponent is brought into engaging relation with said operating bar to actuate an instrumentality.

10. In combination, a plurality of instrumentalities to be actuated, record reading means, a set of permutation bars having double edged code notch accommodations, means for transferring the selective condition of said record reading means to said permutation bars, a plurality of pairs of attrahently biased members having confronting edges cooperable with respective ones of said code accommodations, spreader means interposed between the members of said pairs to eifectuate the actuation of said members toward and away from said permutation bars, a plurality of interponents having two different kinds of motion, each interponent responsively associated with a member, and a reciprocating operating bar, said interponents having certain facilities responsive to the selective movement of said members to impart one kind of motion to said interponents, and other facilities engageable with said operating bar to impart another kind of motion to said interponents, whereby upon a selective response of said members a companion interponent is brought into engaging relation with said operating bar to actuate an instrumentality.

MAURUS T. GOETZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,208,641 Pillings Dec. 12, 1916 1,448,750 Kleinschmidt Mar. 20, 1923 1,857,374 Graham et al. May 10, 1932 2,091,286 Krum et a1 Aug. 31, 1937 

